A classical think tank lies at the core of the Brandenburg Institute for Society and Security (BIGS), in which scholars from various disciplinary and institutional backgrounds work together on socially-relevant questions of civil security. In doing so, they produce analyses and recommendations about threat potentials, avoidance strategies and countermeasures, and the market for security technologies and services. They identify the need for institutional change and develop scenarios as the basis for preparing for eventual attacks and catastrophes.

See below for more information on our main topics of research and check-out our current projects as well as our publications.

The economics of security examines the provision of scarce goods and services that contribute to the state of security in a particular place. Security is defined as a function of Threat and Protection, with Security decreasing in the former and increasing in the latter.* This broad definition** encompasses activities by economic agents at various degrees of aggregation, from the individual to the state. At BIGS, we deal with decisions made by groups, ranging from groups of individuals, to private companies, to government institutions. We also deal with overarching questions of regulation and market balances.

* Cf. Bretschneider, W., Freytag, A., Rieckmann, J. P., & Stuchtey, T. H. (2020). Sicherheitsverantwortung zwischen Staat und Markt – eine institutionenökonomische Analyse. ORDO, 70(1), S.96.
** Cf. for the broader and narrower definitions also: Brück, T., Karaisl, M., & Schneider, F. (2008). A Survey of the Economics of Security (No. 1). Economics of Security Working Paper. p. 8.

BIGS is particularly dedicated to the economic and social dimensions within the research field of cyber security. Although cooperation between government, business and science regarding cyber security is improving on the national as well as international level, there is still urgent need for action. This is where BIGS comes into play and uses its organizational and research capacities to tackle various aspects of cyber security from a cross-disciplinary perspective.

These are, firstly, the social and structural changes that result from advancements in information and communication technology. Secondly, questions about constraints put upon various institutions, organizations and actors of cyber security are examined in the interdisciplinary setting of the Brandenburg Institute for Society and Security. Aside from issues of internet governance, BIGS also deals with the challenges imposed on the Germany economy by interconnectedness and digitalization. The focus here is on cooperation between business on the one hand and government actors and institutions on the other hand, as well as the safety of highly interconnected industries in the area of critical infrastructures.

BIGS not only participates in research projects itself, but actively strives to improve the research landscape through high-performance consortia. The institute has a large international network of users and research institutes in the field of civil security research. Through the organization of workshops, networking opportunities between actors are promoted and impulses for future cooperation set. The aim is to enable cooperations between experts and users in order to ensure the transition from theory to practice. In the area of project management, the BIGS also takes over the cross-project planning of joint projects.